Designed and built from the ground up as a a state-of-the art orchestral facility, Studio28 is owned by Fang Riewpakorn - an alumni of Full Sail University who spent several years in LA learning her studio-craft. It was Riewpakorn’s intent to create a world-class orchestral recording studio that can provide any level of service, including a complete orchestral 'package’ where the client can simply provide a score and Studio 28 will take care of the rest. The choice of an SSL Duality console was integral to that ambition – world-beating quality, and ultimate flexibility: "We picked that console for many reasons,” Riewpakorn notes. “…The great sound, it's flexibility, the SSL name, and the SSL support... "

Studio28’s main Studio A, designed by Jay Kaufman & Associates, features a 250 square meter stage with a seven-meter ceiling height and variable acoustics, adjustable between 1.2 and 1.5 seconds RT60 using motorised panels on the ceiling and the walls. That space can comfortably accommodate up to about 85 musicians with an additional capacity provided by three isolation booths - two of which are 'semi-live', with 'Iso 3' as an absorbent vocal booth.

The control room is 35 square meters and incorporates the console, producer's desk, generous rack space, and a comfortable general purpose seating area at the back.

Jake Craig, the Chief Sound Engineer at Studio28, has been working with the new SSL Duality console for several months now. He notes that his biggest gain has been time - and the freedom to run sessions without having to constantly manage the noise floor. "For example," says Craig. "We just finished a scoring session for a French composer - ten cues in a large variety of styles and only three hours to do it in. You don't have time to be worrying about gain staging and so on when jumping between orchestral cues different dynamics. This console is so quiet and clean I can almost just set and forget, and hit record. I can then focus more on listening to the orchestra, getting through the cues, and making sure we get everything we need.

"These days the console has to be transparent - with the Duality I can get a great sound, no problem. It makes my job very easy."

With Studio28’s top-notch proposition for film and TV production clients already validated many times over by the increasing demand from diverse geographical markets, the SSL Duality has already proven to be a winning asset. Recent clients have come from Western Europe, Hong Kong, India, and the US. "Initially we thought we'd start with the local Asian market and branch out," says Craig. "But actually it went the other way. It started mostly international, and the number of Asian clients is now increasing.
"We also have the biggest post production film facility in South East Asia near here - Kantana - so for a lot of people working in those markets it makes us a very convenient venue for scoring.

While Studio28 does reap the benefits of competitive pricing, and Thailand's very central location, a client's final decision rests on the quality of the equipment, the space, and the people. Craig: "When people hear Studio28, they all agree it's a fantastic sounding studio, and always want to come and record here."